Mechanism for producing designs in multiple



Sept. 7, 1954 s. HOWARD MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS m MULTIPLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 1951 INVENTOR Mk9 53 fifimz'd ATTORNEYS ...iI wl Patented Sept. 7, 1954 OFFICE MECHANISM FOR PRODUCING DESIGNS IN MULTIPLE Lewis S. Howard, Chicago, Ill.

Application January 12, 1951, Serial No. 205,762

9 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanisms for causing a plurality of machines or devices to produce identical designs upon as many pieces of material. The invention may be used with machines for sewing, sawing, carving, drawing, etc.

Mechanisms for duplicating line designs and employing a pantograph principle have been in use for many years. Most of these machines have the duplicating devices in alignment, and consequently require considerable space for their installation. The lineal arrangement necessitates control members of excessive length whereby inaccuracies may occur, and precise duplication is lost.

The object of the present invention is to provide duplicating mechanisms which is compactly arranged, in order to occupy a small space, to secure the utmost accuracy, and to substantially reduce the power required to operate it.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide such mechanism wherein the machines may be grouped with all receiving power and control from a central osition, whereby all controls may be identical, and of equal length, resulting in exact duplication.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism whereby any of the plurality of machines may be used as the master, or control machine, without changing the mechanism in any way.

Still another object is the provision of means whereby allof the movements of the various machines will be synchronized to ensure identity of movement of all, and resulting identity of design.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one practical embodiment thereof when taken in conjunction with the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of mechanism embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the mechanism and is taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section through a portion of one of the tracks and carriage thereon and is taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section through one of the worksupporting frames;

Figure 5 is a vertical section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; and,

Figure 6 is a horizontal section taken on the line 66 of Figure 2, showing part of the drive mechanism.

While as stated above, the present invention may be used with machines for sewing, sawing, carving, drawing, etc., it has been shown, and will be described herein, solely in connection with sewing machines, whereby similar stitched designs as in embroidery may be produced. Also, the mechanism is disclosed as employing four sewing machines, but it will be understood that the principles of the invention are adapted to the control of any number of machines desired.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the mechanism is illustrated as mounted upon a frame I. This frame is cruciform, having outwardly extending supporting arms 2, projecting radially from a central support 3. The outer ends of the arms 2 may be supported by feet or blocks 4. Legs 5 rise vertically from the outer ends of arms 2 to support platforms 6 upon which the sewing machines 7 are placed, and to support the outer ends of another set of radial arms 8. Brace members 9 are secured to the arms 8 upon which the front ends of the platforms 6 rest. Arms 3 also support a table Ill, centrally positioned with respect to the frame.

Sewing machines I are secured upon platforms 6, so that they are in alignment with the radial arms 2 and 8 and equidistant from the center of frame I. These machines are the conventional type used in stitching designs. The flywheel ll of each of the sewing machines has a sprocket [2 attached to it, over which a chain 93 passes. Directly beneath the machines 1, and journaled in bearings M upon arms 2 are rotatable shafts l5. Each of these extends the full length of an arm 2 and carries a sprocket I6 about which one of the chains I3 pass. This establishes a driving connection between the shafts l5 and the sewing machines I. At their inner ends, centrally of the frame, all of the shafts i5 are geared together to rotate in unison. Each shaft carries a beveled gear H which meshes with a beveled gear 58 mounted for free rotation on the central frame support 3. Thus, rotation of one shaft It will be imparted to all of these shafts, so that all sewing machines will be driven synchronously. Anyone of the shafts I5 may be extended at its outer end, as at l9, and coupled in a suitable manner to a source of power.

Sewing machines of the type adapted for use with the present invention are provided with a crank handle 20 which serves to rotate the machine needle and cloth-feeding mechanism to 3 change their direction when the line of the design changes its course. This is standard construction, and the details of this structure have not been shown. To synchronize this movement on all of the machines, the crankshaft 2| of each machine is provided with a sprocket 22. Chains 23 pass around these sprockets, and each chain passes around one set of sprocket teeth on a multiple :sprocket 24 'rotatably 'mounted upon the central frame support 3. It is obvious that a plurality of sprockets joined together may be used in place of the multiple sprocket 24. With this arrangement, movementof thecrank of any machine will impart a similar movement to the crankshaft of each of the other machines Thus, there is provided synchronous operation of the machines, and synchronous controlof the respective cloth-feeding mechanisms.

The cloth upon which the design is to ..be stitched is held in position by suitable frames 2.5 located adjacent each sewing machine. These frames may be provided with anyconventional means for holding the cloth taut across the open center of the frame.

.All of the frames are carried upon a rotatable spiderZfi, which is mounted upon the-central support 3, and comprises a central disk 2'! to which a plurality of radial trackways 28 are secured. The tracks are formed of spaced, parallel, angle-iron rails which have their inner ends rigidly connected to the disk. Between the rails of each track, there is a guide rod 29 which is centrally positioned with respect to the rails and substantially co-extensive therewith. The frames 25 are connectedto carriages 30 which are movablymounted upon the tracks. Each carriage consists of a body member 3| which has attached to it two flanged wheels 32, spaced apart the proper'distance to ride upon the rails. Underneath the body'portion of the carriage, straps 33 are secured, which straps encircle the guide rods to hold the carriage in position on the rails. The carriage may moveinand out on the rails topermit the frame to be moved under the machine needle.

.Inorder to secure simultaneous and identical movement of all of the frames, each carriage has a rack 34 pivotally secured to it. The racks extend toward the center portion of the frame, and engage a pinion 35 which is loosely mounted on the central support 3. Pinion 35 is sufficiently wide to allow the racks toengage itat different levels so that the racks may move freely without interfering with one another. Positioning pins 36 .may be secured to the disk 21, or to spacing blocks between the disk and pinion 35, to bear against the backs of the racks to hold theracks in engagement with the pinion.

The spider 26 is rotatable, as previously mentioned, and in order to prevent binding on the central support 3 and to distribute the load, rollers 3'! are mounted beneath the tracks 28 to ride upon the table [0.

In operation, material which is to have a design stitched upon it is secured to each of the frames 25 by any conventional means, such as the spring clips .38 shown in Figure 4, and the machine started. All of the sewing machines will be driven synchronously so that thesame stitching may be obtained from each. By rotating one of the crank handles 2!], the cloth feed of all of the sewing machines will receive a direction change, and thus the cloth may be made to .move in .any directionnecessary to stitch the desired design. The frames supporting the material may move in any required direction as a result of the radial movement of the carriages 30 and the rotative movement of the spider 26, Thus it will be seen that an operator may be stationed at any one of the sewing machines to control its operation, and that machine will serve as a master or control machine for the other sewing machines to the end that identical designs will bezstitched upon the material'zin each of the frames.

Due to the radial arrangement of the parts,

:controls are reduced to a minimum length, and

each element of the entire device receives its .control from a central point from which all of the elements are equally spaced. This ensures synchronization of the parts, and requires but aminimum of .power for its operation.

'VVhile in the above, there has been disclosed one practical embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that many changes may be madefrom the precise structure shown and described without departing-from the :scope of .the inventionv as defined-in the appended'claims.

What is claimed is:

1.-In devices for simultaneously producing identical designs upon a plurality of work-pieces .at a plurality of stations, a frame, a vertically positioned center-post carried by said frame, a

plurality of design-producing machines mounted'upon said frame at points equidistant from said-.centerepost, means to drive-saidmachines, a plurality of work-holders, one adjacent each machine, rigidly interconnected for rotative movement about said center-post, means to permit'said work-holders to move radially'with respect tozsaid center-post, and means coupled to said center-postfor interconnecting said workholders'wherebyradial movement of .onewill result in equal and simultaneous radial movement of the other work-holders.

2.In devices as claimed in claim 1, said machines each having, a-work-feeding'mechanism, and means to control the operative direction of its work-feeding mechanism, separate means connected to and moveable withisaid control means, and means coupled with said center-post for interconnecting said separate means .to cause simultaneous and identical movement of all of said control means when one of the control means is moved.

"3. In devices for simultaneously producing identical-designs upon a plurality of work-pieces at a plurality of stations, aframe, a vertically positioned center-post carried bysaid frame, a plurality of design-producing machines mounted upon said frame at points equidistant from said center-post, means to drive said machines, a spider'rotatably mounted upon said center-post and having radial arms equal in number to said machines, a work-holder carried by each arm and mounted for longitudinal movement thereon, a rack connected to each of said work-holders, and'a pinion rotatably mounted upon said centerpost for engagement by said racks.

4. In devices as claimed in claim 3, said machines each having, a work-feeding mechanism, and means to control the operative direction of its work-feeding mechanism, a multiple sprocket on said center-post, and separate chains connecting each of said control means to said sprocket.

5. In devices as claimed in claim 3, said machines each having means to control the operative direction of its machine, a multiple sprocket on said center-post, separate chains connecting each of said control means to said sprocket, said driving means comprising a common source of power connected to a gear on said center-post, and shafts from said center-post to said machines, each of said shafts having a gear in mesh with said center-post gear.

6. A support for a plurality of work-holders comprising, a shaft, a spider rotatably mounted upon said shaft, said spider having a plurality of radially extending arms, means longitudinally movable upon each arm to support a workholder, a gear rotatably mounted upon said shaft, and a rack connected to each work-holder sup porting means and in engagement with said gear.

7. A support for a plurality of work-holders comprising a shaft, a spider rotatably mounted upon said shaft, said spider having a plurality of radially extending arms, tracks extending longitudinally of said arms, a carriage for movement upon each of said tracks, said carriages each supporting a work-holder, a gear rotatably mounted upon said shaft, and a rock connected to each carriage and in engagement with said gear.

8. In devices for simultaneously producing identical designs upon a plurality of work-pieces at a plurality of stations, a frame, a vertically positioned center-post carried by said frame,-a plurality of design-producing machines, each including a work-feeding mechanism mounted upon said frame at points equidistant from said center-post, means to drive said machines, said machines each having means to control the operative direction of its work-feeding mechanism, separate chains connected to and movable with each of said control means, and a multiple sprocket on said center-post to which is connected each of said chains so that simultaneous and identical movement of all said control means will result from movement of any one of said control means.

9. In devices as claimed in claim 8, said driving means comprising a common source of power connected to a gear on said center-post, and shafts from said center-post to said machines, each of said shafts having a gear in mesh with said center-post gear.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,003,986 Cornely Sept. 26, 1911 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 459,243 Germany May 5, 1928 404,825 Great Britain Oct. 29, 1909 

